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B.C. government should implement Auditor General’s recommendations to improve prisons and make communities safer

“The government should act immediately on the Auditor’s recommendations and provide the direction and resources to address the problems she has highlighted.” — Dean Purdy, BCGEU Vice-President, Corrections and Sheriff Services. 

Vancouver (14 Jan. 2015) — The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) is calling on the provincial government to implement the recommendations made by the Auditor General to ensure prisons are safe for inmates and staff, and to reduce safety risks to the public.

Auditor General's report echoes the concerns correctional officers have been raising for years

Auditor General Carol Bellringer's report describes unsafe provincial prisons that are chronically overcrowded, and inmates who do not get access to programs they need to reduce the risk of reoffending once they are released from prison.

“This report highlights what our correctional officers have been saying for many years,” says Paul Finch, BCGEU Treasurer. “It also provides a road map to make important improvements to address these serious problems. The Auditor General’s eight recommendations will make our prisons safer, make our communities safer and deliver better value to taxpayers.”

Recommendations include implementing management framework for prisons to achieve safe and secure custody and focus on reducing criminal behaviour

Among the recommendations, the Auditor General calls for the implementation of a management framework of goals, objectives, strategies, performance measures and targets to achieve safe and secure custody and reduce criminal behaviour.

“This audit describes in detail a prison system that is not planning for, or providing, facilities needed to deliver safe and secure custody,” says Dean Purdy, BCGEU Vice-President, Corrections and Sheriff Services. “The government should act immediately on the Auditor’s recommendations and provide the direction and resources to address the problems she has highlighted.” 

More information:

Read the Auditor General's full report

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE